Tuesday Reading: Matthew 23:37-39
Key Verse: Matthew 23:37
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
Devotion:
When the Lord spoke about Jerusalem He did not speak about the buildings, temples or sites but rather about the people. To Him the people made up the city and not the buildings. It was probably to the Sanhedrim that the accusation of killing the prophets was aimed at because they were the one who were controlling the “religion” and not considering God; they were the ones leaving God out of their lives and perusing a religion based on their own ideals. We can see so much of that happening today as well as our leaders get lost in their own ideas and ignore God.
He brought it down to the simplicity of a hen spreading her wings over her chicks to protect them from all around in order to show everyone that they were just ignoring the one commandment that He came to remind them of – to love one another. If we were concerned about our offspring or indeed about all those around us then we too would be showing them how much God means to us so that they too can see the protection that He offers. But, alas, we face a world where Christianity is being stifled, being cut out and being replaced by religions which depend on man doing something to gain his own salvation.
We need God’s love and protection. We have His love because He has already shown us that by giving His own Son for us. We can have His protection if we are willing to recognise that He is God and to draw closer to Him. If we want to be under His wings then we have to listen to Him calling and get under His wings as He lifts them up. We do not want to have Him leave us as He left Jerusalem. When the mother hen is not close by the chicks will get very worried when danger approaches; we need to stick close to our God so that we know His protection.
Points to Ponder:
Do you get worried about God being left out of your life?
Are you actively seeking to stay with God?
